School is inadequate, Ofsted inspectors rule

A PRIMARY school has been rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted inspectors who say the quality of teaching needs significant improvement.

Boxmoor Primary School in Cowper Road, Hemel Hempstead, was visited by the education watchdog on April 18 and consequently issued with a ‘notice to improve.’

Two inspectors observed 13 teachers covering 18 lessons and found the quality of teaching to be ‘satisfactory but inconsistent’ with ‘some inadequate teaching observed and little that was good.’

In a letter to the pupils, aged three to 11, inspector Philip Mann said although improvements were already evident, more needs to be done.

He said: “Some of you do not make the same good progress in other classes because teaching is not always good enough.”

The headteacher at the time of the inspection had only been in the job for two days and was a temporary replacement after the former school leader’s retirement.

New headteacher Pam Dosanjh said: “We have already started working on the priorities and are confident that over the next 12 months Boxmoor will again become the school of which all its stakeholders have been justifiably proud.”

When inspectors last visited back in January 2008, the school was given an overall effectiveness grading of ‘good’.

Herts County Council’s cabinet member for education and skills, Frances Button, said the introduction of a new inspection regime in January may have had an impact on attained grades.

She said: “The new framework will leave some schools more vulnerable to dropping a grade or being placed into a category. All local authorities are required by law to support schools given notice to improve.”